Etching-machine



w. F. NICHOLAS.

ETCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.7,1919.

Z SHEETSSHEET l.

1 ,345,21 9. Patented June 29, 1920.

whine/awe Snow W01 6142mm a1,

W. F. NICHOLAS.

ETCHING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED JAN. 7, 1919.

1,345,219. Patented June 29,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

witmwoeo I 6 I V I W 74% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

W LLIAM F. 'mcHoL'AsoF CHICAGO, rumors} j Enemies-MACHINE.

To all whom it may mm Be it known that I,

LAS, a citizen of the United States, residing plane one manner of connecting the paddles.

at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Etching- Machines, of which the following'is a specification? My present invention pertains to etching apparatus, and has for its object to; provide an etching apparatus. susceptible of operation atza high rate of speed and in such 7 v manner that by the agitation incidental to operation the plate is at all times immersed in a constantly agitated etchingfiuid, the fluid being. caused to steadily flow over the plate and being prevented from breaking in the center with the result that clean and rapid etching is brought about.

The invention in all of its details will be.

fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereby made apart thereof, in which:

'Figure 1 is a plan viewof the apparatus constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention that I have as yet devised.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus. 1 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 1s a section taken at right angles to Fig. 3 in the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. his a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing one manner of'mounting thepaddles and also showing the paddle as equipped with a crank.

-Fig. 6 is a view of the same taken in a at right angles to Fig. 5 and showing Connected with the lowermost points of the wells 3 is a drain pipe 5 which is valved at 6. Supported between the covers 4 and spaced above the plate 2 is a glass cover 7 at one side of which is disposed an exhaust conduit or uptake 8, as best shown in Figs.

v Specification of Letters Patent,

WILLIAM F. Niorro 1, 2 and 4. The said glass cover 7 is carried in a frame 9wh1ch is hinged at10,"Fig. 1.

A damper 8*, Fig. 4, is preferably employed in the conduit 8.

Mounted in suitable bearings on the frame 1 is ashaft llkbearing worms 1'2 and equipped with a pulley 13 for connection I p Patented James, 1920. Application and January 7, 1919. Serial No. 2 9,975. g

with a suitable'mo'tor. Also journaled in suitable bearings on the frame rare transverse shafts 14, equipped attheir ends with worm gears 'l5that-"are in mesh with-the I worms 12'.

Carried by 'the said shafts 14 areduplex paddles 16- which are provided Ett' their longitudinal edges with reversely arranged cups 17. The said paddles 16- are preferably made of aluminum as is also the frame 9 ofthe glass cover 7 In the practical operation of my novel apparatus, it will be apparent that agitation of the etching fluid will be maintained. by the'paddles 16 on the ends of the apparatus, and when the paddles are set to rotate in opposite directions, which is the preferred arrangement,'-the paddles will cause the fluid to flow over the plate, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, in continuing streams which will produce a clean and rapid etching.

v In Figs. 5, .6 and 7 I show single or half paddles 16 reversely arranged and having cups 17 on their outer longitudinal edges. These s ngle or half paddles are calculated to prevent the fluid from breaking in the center of the apparatus, and I would there-1 fore have it understood that without involving departure from the scope of my invention the shafts of the paddles may be equipped with cranks 20 and 21, thesaid cranks being connected by a pitman 22 and the crank 21 being adapted to "serve the additional purpose of a pulley 13 for connection with a motor.

It will be manifest from the that my novel apparatus is susceptible of being operated at a high rate of speed because of the immersion of the plate in etching fluid that is constantly agitated. Also, the apparatus is simple and compact and as a whole is well adapted to withstand the usage to which etching machines are ordinarily subjected.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An etching apparatus having a plate, wells joined to opposite ends of the said plate foregoing and in communication with the upper surface thereof, and paddles movable in the' wells.

2. An etching apparatus comprising a 1 plate, wells joined to opposite ends of the- I plateand in communication with the upper surface thereof, reversely arranged, paddles in the wells, and means for synchronously Y plate, wells joined to opp ositeends of the plate and in communication with the upper surface thereof, covers complementary to the wells, a transparent cover disposed between the well covers. and adapted tobe I opened, an exhaust conduit, and paddles rotatable in the wells. 7 V

5.,An etching apparatus comprising a plate, wells joined to and extending below opposite ends of the plate and in communi cation with the upper surface thereof, and

rotatable paddles in the wellsand connected together to move in concertand-having cups. 6.;An etching apparatus comprising a plate, wells joined to opposite ends of the plate andin communication with the upper surface thereof, duplex paddles rotatable in the Wells and having reverselyr arranged" cups at their outer edges, said paddles being set opposite to each other, and a connection intermediate the paddles.

'Y'An etching apparatus comprising a plate adapted to support a plate to be etched superimposed thereon, wells in .co1'nmunication with the upper surface of the first named plate at opposite ends thereof, and

meansmovable in said wells tomove streams of etching liquid over the superimposed plate. 3 I,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

" WILLIAM F. NIoHoLAs] Y 

